Warmonger
by Valkrye
Summary: Growing up in 'Podunk' doesn't usually prepare one for war. Especially when that war involves massive genocide. Of the human race. Join in Radais' quest for humans, the truth, and her future. This little summary doesn't do it justice, just read it. -
1. Preface

Alright, so I feel like I should explain a little bit about my characters and processes. I won't interject into the story much, but an introduction is highly recommended.

First and foremost, if I EVER make Radequdais a Mary Sue(perfect, flat character) PLEASE tell me so I can change her.

Second, let me explain my characters. Not my OCs, but my HB characters:

Hellboy(Red) - I take him for face value from both the movies AND the comics. He's really far more intelligent in the comics than he plays off in the movies, but for the most part, Ronnie P. has got Red spot-on, so I try to hold true to his movie self. But with HB comes this protective, fathering side, that I may or may not have just invented. Don't complain.

Abraham Sapien(Abe or Blue) - So, if you don't know by now, I absolutely ADORE Abe. My first version of Warmonger mostly was just helping me iron out my fishie. So let me tell you about him. Physically, he's some sort of cross between the comics and animated series. But mostly the animated series. Cause he's a cutie. The movie kind of turns him into a total puss. I think he's a little more tough. So, his persona is also a cross between the animation and the comics, with little peices taken from the movie. He's suave and confident. At the same time, his first love got torn away, and he's pretty heartbroken. Which makes him kind of dark, distant, and depressive. He's fun to write though. XD

Elizabeth Sherman(Liz) - She's taken alot from the movie. She hates her pyrotechnics. Haha. And she's really determined and whatever. I don't have much to say about her, you'll just have to see how the story plays out.

Third, let me explain my storyline. First off, I like to stick MOSTLY to the movie universe. But I will foray into the comics or the animated series at points. Warmonger takes place after the second movie, and for my purposes, tragic circumstances have befallen some of the guys. SPOILER/WARNING: Of course, Nuala is deader than a doorknob. Which makes Abe darker(Explained above). Liz lost her babies. Evidently humans werent meant to hold TWO hanyou babies. That's my take on it. And it's not going to change. If you don't want her to lose the kids, don't read. It's that simple. It's my fanfic, I can manipulate it to my liking. ^-^

Alright, So I think I've talked enough. If I have anything else to add, I'll put it at the end of the newest chapter. Sound good? Happy reading!


	2. Chapter 1: Beginnings

"King Gahliendo," a servant mumbled humbly, his bald, carved head bowed low, his eyes shadowed. The great red king turned from his mirror, his red hair waving fluidly, like bloody silk.

"What?" the elf asked, his smooth brow furrowed with worry and agitation.

"It's a girl," the servant said mildly.

The king blew through the breezeway, scattering servants, court-goers, and nurses as he went. The servant followed him closely, holding a jar full of some brownish liquid. The halls were silent in the old castle, filled with a somber sort of air. The king raged like a thunderstorm down the halls finally stopping short at a large red door.

"Your Highness," the servant said, "Allow me." He opened the door for the king, balancing the jar in the crook of his elbow. The king brushed past, into the room, which stank of alcohol and birth. The bed in the center was surrounded by nurses, their red faces covered with white cloth.

The kelpie was in the bed, her hair slick with sweat and her hollow eyes fixed on the lump of cloth she was holding. She looked up when the king entered, a snarl on her face. "It's a girl," she spat. The king nodded, his mouth a thin line. The line across his nose was pushed up with disgust at the word 'girl'. He stepped closer, to inspect the child.

It was paler than the elves were, a sort of tan color that was actually pleasant. The little bit of

hair was strawberry blonde, the color of wine in the springtime. She squirmed under the king's cold stare and the kelpie's cold talons. The king glared for a moment, watching the child. Then, just as he was about to turn around and wave the child away, she opened her eyes. Brilliant violet orbs that caught the king as a net a butterfly catches.

"The Warmonger," Gahliendo said breathlessly. The kelpie woman looked from her child to the king, her hollow eyes suddenly fierce. She set the child in her lap, cradling its head between her knees.

"No! It can't be," she said reverently, touching the child's cheek.

"It is. Radequdais, the warmonger. Haste, Oraz!" the king said. The bald servant came forth with the jar, setting the glass on the bed and lifting the child from her mother's leg-cradle. The king took the jar and opened it, taking from it a long, lumped piece of something. A wolf's heartstrings.

The kelpie was suddenly ravenous. "Feed them to her," she hissed, saliva dripping from her gnarled yellow teeth. The gold collar around her throat stretched as she strained toward the child. Gahliendo followed the beast's instructions, dangling the organs into the child's mouth. She engulfed them eagerly, this being the first time she had ever eaten.

"Child, you are the prophecy! Grow strong and sound of mind, and lead our people into the light! Become the warmonger, the destroyer of Man! Radequdais, take these sinews, from the chest of the pied she-wolf, and still them in your soul! Hound of Hell, change the world!" Oraz, the shriveled servant, bellowed as the child ate. She cooed lightly, her purple gems catching the ancient grey light. Her red gums were split with the first of her teeth, long pointed canines. The girl smiled and giggled at the king and her mother.

King Gahliendo, with little Radequdais in his arms, left the small room. He waved a hand at Oraz. As the king walked down the corridor, the shrill screams of a horse being spitted through filled the halls. The kelpie was dead, it was a useless animal anyway. Gahliendo handed the child off to a red-faced, solemn nurse.

"Take her to the basement of the Grand Central Terminal in New York. There will be a troll waiting. Give the child to her, tell her the child's name, and then leave. Don't look back or you will be killed. Do you understand?" Gahliendo growled.

The nurse nodded, coddling the child close to her bosom. She swirled away, her red hair flapping in her wake. The king watched the nurse go with mild disdain. The seer had been wrong, the kelpie had produced no male heir. Only a monster. How completely tragic. And how completely perfect. The thought of killing off humans and the other tribes made the king smile a cold, toothy grin. How completely evil.

"Hush, little Dais." Said the nurse. She was crouched outside the castle, her back on the cold stone. The girl was stirring in her cloths, preparing to begin a good long cry. The nurse held the child close, patting her back and cooing lightly to her, begging her to keep quiet. "They're coming soon, I promise. No much longer, little Dais, not much longer."

Just as the nurse finished, the sound of hooves rang through the little valley. Through the evening mist came four horses of the purest white. Aboard three were tall men, with impossible white skin and long grooves across the bridges of their noses. Their ears were pointed and their eyes were a deep yellow, almost sickly looking.

"Brother! I was afraid you wouldn't come!" the nurse exclaimed. The biggest elf, who was aboard the biggest stallion, said nothing to his sister, only held out his hand for the baby. The nurse grimaced, but handed the child off. "Take her west, away from here, passed the city. Find her a human to live with. Let her grow up away from all of this, so that she will know no war. She will be strong, but she will know life and she will know humans. I pray this will change the course of the prophecy. Oh, and call her Radais."

The big elf nodded, cradled the child close to his chest, and then turned the stallion. He galloped alone, leaving the nurse and the other two elves behind.

"Pray, daughter, that she never meets the king Gahliendo," said one of the men. He was elderly and bearded, with wise eyes.

The nurse wiped her face with her sleeve, revealing chalk-white skin beneath the deep red powder. "Yes, Father. Pray and hope that the demon protects her."

I found some spelling and gramatical errors and am fixing them. ^-^


	3. Chapter 2: The Platform to Hell

Twilight was calm in Nokesville. The sun set passively behind the spindly tall trees, as if content in knowing it would be allowed to rise the following morning, or perhaps relieved to be going elsewhere for a few hours. A coven of bats flitted around the house, chasing insects and curiously investigating the girl who sat on the deck's wooden railing.

She looked normal enough. She was slender and muscular, a result of daily runs on the treadmill, with a pretty face. A few oddities tarnished her appearance, eyes that were too purple to be normal, ears that were slightly pointed, and, when she smiled, her canines were a tiny bit too long. However, her pink lips, lightly tanned skin, and golden hair made her cute, even desirable, to those who could get passed her 'abnormalities'.

The bats were one such group. Their acute senses stretched beyond those of any humanoid, and as a result a few of the younger and bolder would venture so far as to land near the girl as their elders swooped and dove overhead.

"Come here," the girl cooed to one young and bold male. He crawled closer to her extended hand, sniffing her cautiously. His furry little ears twitched back and forth and he stretched forward with one leathery wing, tapping her finger with his claw, testing it. The girl laughed, a bell-like sound that made the little bat shrink back and begin to chatter in his harsh language.

"Radais!" a familiar voice said, in shocked tones. The girl turned around and all of the little brown bats took flight simultaneously, in response to her rapid movement. "Those rats could give you diseases! Now come inside and wash your hands!"

The speaker was Gregory, Radais' father. Radais nodded, sliding from the railing and heading inside the house. Gregory watched her keenly, making sure the girl washed with heaps of soap and practically boiling water.

When Radais was young, Gregory had been strong, young, and full of music. He had always been singing. His brown eyes had glittered with youthful vigor and passion. Now, nineteen years after Radais' first memories of the man, he was thin, worn, and seemed faded, like paper left in the sun. Even so, his eyes held a sparkle, like a flame trapped forever in topaz.

"How was work?" he asked, handing the now germ-free Radais a plate with pork chops, peas from a can, and Gregory' World Famous Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

"Work," she answered, taking the plate and a glass of tea to the table in the small dining room. Dinner was always nice in the house, relaxing and inviting. "But in just two paychecks I'll have enough to pay off the car."

"And then you can move out!" Gregory chuckled. He had convinced Radais to attend the local community college, where she was now a junior, with the promise of always have a place for her to live. And since she was still paying off her 2004 mustang, she would probably need his promise for a few more years.

Radais was proud that Gregory made her work for things. She had seen a lot of her peers crash and burn because they had no work ethic. Then again, most of them were dumb humans.

That was another thing that made the girl proud of her father. He had raised her kindly, instilling in her the knowledge of her heritage from a very young age. Kelpie, a Scottish water spirit, and elf. An interesting mix.

Despite this, Radais saw herself as human. Perhaps hyper-intelligent, she found that a great deal of humans were ignorant or just plain stupid. But, she also felt like a white bat among a coven of brown cousins, rare and unusual, but still the same.

"You'd hate the house without me, Greg," Radais said, swallowing a mouthful of potatoes.

"I'll have crazy house parties with the other professors."

Gregory was an art professor at a nearby liberal arts college, who taught sketching and basic drawing to freshmen.

The two talked over the rest of dinner. Radais brought up her need to visit the local library, and Gregory glared.

"You know I don't like when you go there. That platform could be dangerous Rad, you could get hurt and no one would find you!"

"Relax, Greg. Nothin' is going to happen. Now, I gotta go before they close. Bye!" With that, the girl whirled out of the house, into the car, and down the road. Something about driving made her feel good. Perhaps it was the speed, perhaps it was the control. All she knew was she hated getting out of the car.

The library was a building that sat, squat and brooding, on a street corner in the oldest part of the town near Radais' country house. It was clearly an ancient being with stucco walls spotted with black where the paint had chipped off or gum, placed by neighborhood kids, had rotted. It had been built over an old train station, and there was a trap door located, ironically, in the adult mystery section. Radais had discovered it several months ago while walking through the shelves.

When Radais stepped inside, the librarian, a scrawny dinosaur of a woman with short, dark hair and small eyes, reminded the girl that the library would close in twenty minutes. She politely nodded, but said nothing.

The scenic route, through the romance and horror sections, was devoid of people. _Good_, Radais thought, _Easier when no one is around._ She found the trap door easily, and lifted the heavy wood boards quietly, lest the librarian hear her. Steadily, with practiced motions, she swung her legs into the black pit and dropped into the tunnel and the platform.

On her first journey, the platform, the tracks, and the adjoining tunnels had seemed sinister and creepy. Now, even with golden light from her lanterns, the place was sinister and creepy. Ghosts of cobwebs littered the ceilings and cinderblock walls, which were coated with some kind of thick dark paint, the color of dried blood. Radais, in truth, didn't really know what drew her to the place, but she loved it. It was mysterious and cold, and her sense of adventure piqued whenever she was down in the platform.

A noise rang out from one of the tunnels, the sound of footfalls. Radais froze, fear momentarily gripping her heart with icy hands. Her mind caught up, and she convinced herself it was probably a rat, or possibly a bat. _What if it's hurt?_ She dipped down to the ground, picked up one of her lanterns, and started down the tunnel.

The walls of the place were coated with some kind of slime, and as Radais quickly found out, so was the floor. The flagstones were uneven, as if the paver has carelessly tossed the rocks into place, and the addition of the slick mucus made the footing especially poor.

"Sorry thing better be dying," she grunted as she stepped over a particularly nasty spot. She paused for a second, and a sort of gurgling noise reached her ears. _How odd._ Her lantern cast its light upon the slick walls and she searched for movement.

Several steps later, the girl slipped in the ooze, almost falling. She managed to save herself from a wipe-out, but she dropped her lantern and it went rolling backward, toward the mouth of the tunnel, leaving Radais in almost complete darkness. The gurgling noise stopped and silence encroached on the girl. Then, the sound of heavy footfalls echoed through the tunnel. Radais scrambled toward the lantern.

A sound, a cross between a wolf's howl and a hawk's scream, exploded in the tunnel, sounding way too close for comfort. Radais stopped, turned around, and just enough light shone through the slime-covered tunnel that she could see her assailant.

The creature was tall and thick with muscle, with slimy, dark green skin that was covered in brownish-red boils. Its face was similar to a frog's, with wide green eyes and an even wider jaw. Sharp little teeth, coated with fresh wet blood, protruded from the thing's diseased gums. It was close. Way, way too close. And it was getting closer.

Its rancid hot breath rained down on her. She turned and tried to flee, but the slime brought her down. She heard the unmistakable sound of her head hitting stone, felt a harsh blow to the back of her skull, and the world became fogged. Her consciousness was slipping away. A flash of red passed in front of her eyes, followed by the sharp sound of either stone or bone breaking. Radais discounted the noise as delirium, and even as she felt the hot breath of the creature on her face, she passed out, into concussious dreams.


	4. Chapter 3: Through Abe's Eyes

The BPRD was empty today. Abraham Sapien walked the corridors alone, silent and brooding. Liz was probably at the doctor's and Red was probably out pummeling monsters, as he had been doing a lot lately. Abe himself wouldn't mind bashing some skulls. Perhaps it would help release some of his anxiety and grief.

The last month had been a whirlwind of emotion and crap. After the defeat of Prince Nuada and the army, and the death of Princess Nuala(Low Blow #1), the gang had 'quit' the BPRD. But, much to Manning's satisfaction, they spent a week being shunned by every human they came in contact with, and wound up back at New Jersey HQ. That was Low Blow #2. Then, Liz had lost the babies. She took it hard, but Red had taken it harder. He was having a rough time adjusting, and was spending most of his time beating monsters to a pulp up and down the East Coast.

But at least they still had each other. They still could hold onto their love. Abe had had a glimmer of that, but lost it to the suicide dragon that raged inside of psychotic Prince Nuada. The princess, the beautiful, fascinating, amazing Princess Nuala, had sacrificed herself for the benefit of the entire world. All because that asshole was too proud to realize what a prick he was. In that moment, as she speared herself through, Abraham had lost his first, and probably his only, love.

He walked the halls of the BPRD, sullen, bitter, angry, and falling into depression.

"Abe!" Liz's familiar voice rang through the empty corridor. Abe turned, blinking and flaring his gills.

"What?" he said hoarsely, focusing on the dark haired woman. A cigarette hung from her parted lips, glowing red.

"Have you seen Red? He's been gone like three days, he won't answer his phone, and he turned off his locator."

Abe was surprised. "I haven't. Did he say anything to you?"

"Nothing," she considered for a moment, taking a drag from the cigarette, "Wait. He said he had a lead on one of those frog monster thingies."

"Then that's were he is. Don't worry, he'll turn up shortly."

As if on cue, a loud crash rang through the halls of the building, followed by a familiar voice barking orders. Both Abe and Liz looked toward the source of the noise, in the main lobby, at each other, and then they took off in the direction of the entrance.

Hellboy was standing tall, among several shorter hospital wing staff, all crowded around a gurney.

"Why'd you bring her here?" one asked.

"Wasn't thinking."

"How long ago did she hit her head?"

"Five hours."

"How the hell'd you get here so fast?"

"I've got connections. Now, quit askin' me stupid questions and help the child!" Red finally demanded. The hospital staff wheeled the gurney away and Abe caught a glimpse of tanned skin and golden hair. He looked at Red curiously.

"She got hurt by the frog. I couldn't leave her," he explained. Liz shook her head and wrapped him in a hug. Abe didn't say much. Krauss and Manning wouldn't be happy about this.

"This is a bad idea. She's not cleared, she's probably a complete idiot. Manning is going to have your head mounted over his mantle," Abe grunted, his fins flaring a bit.

"He can blow me," Red retaliated, "Plus, stuff like this always happens for a reason. At least to me it does."

"This had better be a damn good reason."


	5. Chapter 4: Waking Up

At first, everything was black. Radais slowly began to regain some form of consciousness, accessing thought and memory. Sudden, radical realization that she could still be in the tunnel, the strange creature still breathing over her, made her open her eyes.

Everything was white. This definitely wasn't the tunnel. Without much sleuthing, Radais deduced that she was either in heaven or in a hospital. Given that her head was pounding with a headache and her back was stiff, she leaned toward the side of the hospital. But where? How had she gotten out of the tunnel?

In order to confirm her theory that this was in fact the hospital, Radais forced herself into a sitting position.

"Oh, bad idea," she said. Her head swam, threatening to pull her back into unconsciousness, and her back stiffened and almost buckled from misuse.

A nurse, who must have been standing close by, heard her and rushed to her side. "Oh Dear, don't do that, lie down please. Doctor Krauss!"

The sounds of heavy boots on tiled floors caught Radais' attention and halted her protests that she could sit up if she wanted too, thank you very much.

Through the doorway came a very large suit. It reminded Radais of old-time diver suits, like the one from old Scooby-Doo shows. A glass dome, where the head should have been, was filled with a smoke-like substance.

"Greetings, Radequdais. My name is Dr. Johann Krauss. I'm pleased to meet you," the suit said in a thick German accent. He waved the nurse away and she left, her face nervous.

"The pleasure is all mine. Um, how do you know my name?"

"We know a great deal about you. We spoke with a Mr. Gregory Orville. Your adoptive father, I presume. He called your cell phone."

"Yes. Please, where am I?"

"New Jersey. A classified location. Currently, in the hospital of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense."

"Can I go home?"

"Well," the suit paused, "We have an offer that you might want to consider. You are a rare creature. Half kelpie, half elf. You are a creature of prophecy."

"The Warmonger," Radais growled bitterly, "Yes, I know. The whole point of living with Greg was to keep me away from that, so that I could live a normal life."

"Well, I've got news, Shorty. There's no 'getting away' from this." A new player entered the room. He was tall, slender, and muscular, with an angular jaw and blue-green skin. Dark blue and brown stripes populated his face and arms, and fins and gills sprawled on his neck and forearms.

_Fishman. Hmm…What crawled up his butt?_ Radais thought. "So what am I to do, if I can't get away from it?" she directed at the suit.

"We want you to join our team. You'll receive training and housing, and all we ask in return is that you help the Elite Team fight against the bad guys, do some research, and make yourself a useful part of the team."

"What's the catch?" Radais growled.

"At some point, you will have to face your destiny," said the fishman gruffly.

Radais bit her lip. For so long, all she had wanted was to get away from the prophecy that was breathing down her neck. She had wanted to be normal. But maybe this was her chance to fulfill her adventurer and her wanderer. Maybe this could be home. She glanced at the fishman, who was remarkably handsome for being so different. Radais stared at her hands, touched her ears, and opened her mouth. "You're right," she started, "But I am a conditional participant. If I start not likin' it, I'm out. Got it?"

"Deal," Krauss said.

The fishman grimaced. He withdrew a small, hand-held radio. "Stark, report to hospital. Your girl's up," he said into it.

"Ten-four, Abe. I'll be there shortly," Said a female voice over the radio.

"Radequdais, we'll go inform the rest of the team. Stark will get you showered, dressed, and in your room, and then you'll come to the office. Try not to dally," Krauss said, turning.

"Radais, please," she said.

"I beg your pardon?" Krauss asked, turning. The fishman turned as well.

"I go by Radais. It's a bit more optimistic."

"Why?" the fishman asked, showing signs of a personality.

"It means Peace Hound. A bit better than Warmonger, don't you think?"

The fishman said nothing, and both he and Krauss left the room.

"My, what charming people," Radais snorted. She glowered at the door as it shut and bit her lip. The IV in her left arm itched and she took it out gently, careful not to get blood on the bedsheets or the floor. She let the fluid from the bag, probably a mix of electrolytes and plasma, drip onto the pillow and stood carefully. She also took off the heart rate monitor on her finger, thinking that it better not leave a permanent imprint. After another moment, she grew restless and got out of the bed, appraising her hospital gown. It was longer than the ones on TV, and it didn't let her bare ass show, which was something she had always heard people complain about. She stretched, running her hands down her smooth, tan legs and then reaching up toward the ceiling (as if she could touch it, being as short as she was). Her back popped in several places, making her groan.

"Darling, I know you're not out of bed without the doctor's permission."

Radais turned at the sound of the pleasant, sassy voice. The speaker was a tall woman, a brunette, with kind brown eyes and a curly smile. She was standing in the doorway, a towel in one hand and a big bag of soaps, shampoos, and perfumes in the other. Radais glanced at her arm, a black bruise had begun forming where she had removed the IV, and then guiltily at the woman.

"It's Radais. Sorry. I don't like being cooped up like that," she apologized.

The woman laughed pleasantly, showing perfect white teeth. She waltzed forward, with a grace that Radais could only accomplish in her dreams, and handed the towel to the little half-breed. "Not to worry, Dear. I'm Regina Stark, call me Reggie. My husband, Stephan, and I live on base, and we're your Adjustment Coordinators. Steve is finishing your room as we speak, so first, how's a shower sound?"

"Wonderful. How long have I been here, anyway?"

"Only two days. You're a quick healer," Reggie said, taking Radais' un-bruised arm and guiding her out into the halls, "Lucky too, that beast almost sent you into next week, if you know what I mean. Good thing Hellboy was there to save you."

"Who?"

"Hellboy," Reggie said matter-of-factly, turning the corner into a locker room type place, lined with lockers and wooden benches, "He's pretty much the reason the BPRD is around. It was his adoptive father who started this whole thing."

"Interesting," Radais mused as Reggie set the towel and bathroom-bag on one of the benches, "So, any reason in particular he saved me? You all seem pretty excited that I'm here. The fishman was practically bouncing."

"That's Dr. Abraham Sapien. He's kind of been a stick in the mud lately. But I shouldn't gossip, he's a very valuable member of the team," Reggie spouted as she ushered Radais to a glass shower.

Radais nodded lightly, distracted by the see-through monstrosity in front of her. "There's none with, um, walls?"

Reggie laughed lightly. "Relax, kiddo, no one will peak. We all know the rules around here. Hurry and shower, and I'll run and grab you some clothes. What's your favorite color?"

__

I have clothes here?

"Um, purple," she muttered distractedly.

Reggie nodded and ran off, leaving Radais to shower in plain view of the public. Radais tore off the hospital gown after fighting with the strings for a moment and got in the shower, turning the hot water all the way up and letting the steam cloud the glass.

The knots in her back and neck untangled as the water coursed over her, leaving the girl relaxed and in a better mood. Radais washed herself with soap that smelled like strawberries and her hair with the matching shampoo, and after she was satisfied that she was free of any remnants of hospital dirt, she ditched the shower.

"This is convenient," she said under her breath, upon realizing that the towel was still on the bench, 10 or 15 feet away, out in the open. Biting her lip, she scrambled to the bench and dove on the fluffy white terrycloth, quickly wrapping it around herself in a dress-like fashion.

A laugh erupted from close by and Radais spun, sending water droplets from her wet hair flying. Reggie was leaning on a locker, her brunette hair in a ponytail, a pair of jeans slung over her shoulder and a few pieces of indistinguishable cloth in her hand.

"I hope these fit," she said, "Greg wasn't much help with the wardrobe situation."

Radais snorted in disdain, assuming that Reggie was yet another who spoke to her father while Radais was out cold in the hospital bed. She took the clothes, appraising them piece by piece. The thong was skimpy and the bra matched, both made mostly of red silk and lace ribbon. Radais slipped them on reluctantly, followed by the kind of baggy jeans and the purple baby doll t-shirt.

"Do you like them?" Reggie asked, peering at the girl from behind her hand.

"The jeans could fit better. But then, I don't think jeans are a good choice for monster fighting."

"Oh, you've got several pairs of yoga pants for that. Liz suggested them, it's what she uses."

"Cool, I guess. Do I want to be wearing what 'Liz' wears?" Radais quizzed, raising an eyebrow at the woman as she attempted to fix the hem of the violet neoprene-y shirt.

"Sure, she's the only other girl on the Elite team, so I would take stock in what she says."

Radais nodded and proceeded to wring out her dripping blonde hair. Water pooled on the floor under her bare feet and she shook it off, much like how a cat would, glaring at the dark puddle.

"Alright, here's a pair of flip-flops, they'll do you for now," Reggie said, tossing a pair of dark leather sandals at Radais' feet, "Follow me. Manning has called a very important meeting in your honor."

"Wouldn't want to disappoint him," Radais growled.

Reggie glared back at the girl gravely as she lead her out of the locker room and down into the maze of corridors. She flared her nostrils. "No, you really wouldn't. He'll have your ass kicked out faster than you can say 'Peace Out', and that's no exaggeration. You better prove yourself to be useful."

"Um, except I'm pretty sure it was _him_ that wanted _me_ to be part of the team so badly, _not_ the other way around," Radais snapped, flexing the muscles in her back and shoulders.

"I'm just sayin'," Reggie giggled. She clearly didn't play favorites between her employers and clientele, so to speak.

Reggie lead Radais on a ten-minute journey through several corridors, lined with what looked like sheet metal or stainless steel. Every fifty feet or so, there would be a tall glass tank, filled with water and lighted by a bright blue light. Each tank held an artifact or preserved body. Some of the things were very interesting, such as a shriveled kappa or a piece of the Titanic. Each tank had a small brass plate, stating what it artifact was, where it was discovered and who it was discovered by. Radais peered into each with curious, sparkling eyes.

"They're somethin', aren't they?" Reggie asked when Radais made a hushed comment about how neat a particular cluster of crystals was.

"What? Oh, oh yes, they're wonderful. Some of this stuff I've read about, but never thought it was real. I mean, a kappa, for goodness sakes!"

Reggie just laughed and kept walking, and Radais followed quickly, for fear of being left behind. The pair arrived at an ominous-looking door and Reggie stopped, telling Radais that the meeting would be low-key, not many people would be there, and everything would be fine, not to worry.

"Most of these people are just like you," she said, resting her hand on the girl's shoulder, "You'll find you'll be right at home here."

"I hope so," Radais grunted, turning toward the door and pushing to open it with her shoulder.

Seven people halted conversation and turned in their seats as the heavy door opened and Radais emerged. Six of these people were seated at a long table. The seventh, a balding, middle-aged man, stood in the front of the room, a long, narrow stick in one of his hands. Radais recognized two of the ones at the table, Dr. Krauss and Abraham Whatever, the blue fishman.

"Ms. Radequdais! What a pleasure! We were just talking among ourselves while you freshened up," said the balding man boisterously from the front of the room. He beckoned Radais forward to the front, and she reluctantly obeyed. "Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"

Radais gulped and looked at the six expectant faces. Well, five faces and Krauss' smoky filled dome. There was the fishman, a woman with short, dark hair and a lit cigarette in her fingers, a muscular, red skinned man, a woman with caramel hair and full lips, and a very short pale woman with very short blonde hair. They all looked curious, especially the blonde woman and the burly red man.

"Well, um, first of all, it's Radais. _Not _Radequdais. I hate that. Second, I'm not really sure how much help I'll be, I don't know if I have any special powers or nothin' like that. But I'll try. And I really don't want to kill off the human race, so any help with the whole 'Warmonger' business would be appreciated. That's-that's it really. Thanks."

A few of the people smiled as the balding man directed Radais to the nearest chair, his face a bit stonier than it had been before her little speech.

"Thank you, Radais," he said, "Not to worry, I'm sure you'll be a valuable part of the team. You'll be training with the other Elite Team agents, they'll turn you into an investigator."

"Um, cool, I guess."

"How rude of me!" the man exclaimed, "Introductions!"

__

About time

, Radais thought acidly.

"This is Agent Hellboy, Agent Liz Sherman, Dr. Abraham Sapien, Dr. Johann Krauss, Dr. Kate Corrigan, and Dr. Alberta du Crite," he said, pointing to each in turn, the red man, girl with the cigarette, Fishy, Krauss' smoke-filled diver's suit, the short woman, and the caramel-haired girl, "And I am Dr. Tom Manning, Director."

"Too many Ph. D.'s in one room for my taste," Radais snickered, "But it's nice to meet you guys, all the same."

Manning didn't laugh, but Radais heard a chuckle from the audience.

"Well," Manning said, producing a brown leather belt, populated with pouches, a holster, and a red hand and hammer logo buckle. "This is yours." He dumped it into Radais' lap, where it landed with a _thunk_. "And here's your badge and id." He handed her a leather badge holder.

"Thanks," Radais drawled, investigating the badge and id. "This is my driver's license picture," she mused.

"We pulled some strings with the DMV," said the blonde woman, Kate.

"Nice," Radais smiled, showing her too-long canines.

"Oooooh!" Radais looked to the speaker, the caramel-haired woman, who had stood and was advancing toward Radais.

"Um, can I help you?" she asked as the woman stopped. She had smooth skin and pale blue eyes.

"Your teeth," the woman said, pointing toward the girl's mouth.

"I know, they're weird."

A laugh erupted. "Relax, Al. You're scaring the girl. Let her get comfortable before you start dissecting her." The voice was Hellboy's, and it matched his prowess perfectly.

All of the people overwhelmed Radais, giving her a jittery and caged feeling. She cautiously watched as Alberta du Crite reluctantly sat down and began writing in a small brown book.

A knock on the door gave Radais hope for salvation.

"Sorry to interrupt, Manning, but I thought the meeting was over. Radais' room is all finished." The voice was Reggie's. Radais turned to see her standing at the door, a sly smile on her curly lips.

Manning made a face at her, then nodded at Radais, who jumped up, belt and badge in hand, and trotted out of the room.

"Oh my God," Radais laughed once they were out of earshot, "I thought that woman was going to tear my teeth out! Did you see her face?"

Reggie giggled and placed a comforting hand on Radais' shoulder. "Don't worry, kiddo. Alberta can be eccentric at times. You'll get used to it."

"I dunno, Reggie. I just have this weird vibe," Radais said as Reggie lead her down the maze of halls, "I don't like when people judge me, and obviously there's a lot of that going on. The fish dude automatically hates me, Manning thinks I'm the new messiah, or I wouldn't be here, and every single person in there regarded me with either distaste or crude, scientific interest."

"Jeez, Radais, give 'em a break. You've been here, what? Three hours? And you're already making value judgements. Give everyone a few weeks to get used to you and for you to get comfortable. Than you can pass judgements."

Radais bit her lip, seeing the wisdom in Reggie's words and the fault in hers.

"Yeah, you're right. It's just, this is so different. It's kinda scary. I'm used to knowing what's coming next. I guess it's just making me nervous. You're right, I'll get used to it," she said, smiling at the taller woman.

"Good," Reggie stopped, glaring at an open door in the hall, directly across from a tank with a large Yeti paw in the blue water. She walked inside, turned on the lights, and then dragged Radais in after her.

"This is your new home!" she said, a little too enthusiasticly.

The room was circular with a high ceiling, and walls the color of gold, with just as much sheen. A round bed sat in the middle, covered with gold and red comforters and pillows. Lots of pillows. A large oak dresser arched along one wall and several lamps populated the other parts of the room, making the place shadowy. The floor was carpeted with a deep red shag and Radais noticed that the floor was warm. She kicked her flip-flops off and dug her feet into the carpet like it was sand, enjoying the heat.

"Greg said you like to be warm. So we installed an extra heater and heat plates under the carpet. This room will never get below 75 degrees," Reggie giggled.

Radais smiled, making a mental note to thank Greg the next time she got to speak with him.

"This is wonderful, Reggie! Thank you so much!" she said, beaming.

"It's nothin, really. We just want our agents to be comfortable."

"Well I'll have no problem with that. Except, I'll have to get Greg to ship me all of my books. I won't be able to survive for long without them."

"I think he's already shipping them. He said as much to Manning over the phone. He knows you well."

"I'll say!" she laughed, "He didn't tell you my favorite food, did he?"

Reggie just giggled, "I'll leave you to your devices. I think your BPRD cellphone is on the dresser, we gave Greg the number if he needs to call you. I can bring you lunch a bit later."

Radais nodded, walking over to the dresser, and Reggie left.

The cellphone was exactly where Reggie said. Radais picked it up and took it with her to the bed, investigating it. It was sleek and black and waterproof, judging from the weight, with a steel hand and hammer logo on the back. She scrolled through the phonebook, where lots of things like 'SAPIEN' 'CORRIGAN' 'HQ' and 'MANNING' were programmed in. She also noticed that Greg's name was in the phonebook, but the number wasn't filled in. She took the liberty of doing so, annoyed that the agents were too stupid to get the number from the phonebook of her regular cellphone.

A knock on the door made Radais jump and drop the phone. It clattered noisily to the floor.

"Come in!" she yelled to the knocker as she dipped to retrieve the fallen cellular. The door opened, the hinges creaking in protest.

"Well, hiya."

Radais stood and turned. The massive red man, Hellboy, stood ominously in the doorway, blocking out the blue glow of the Yeti tank across the hall. His tail, prehensile and hairless, was curled around the doorknob, and Radais' eyes lingered on it for a moment. His eyes were yellow, but somewhat warm and not as stony as they had been during the meeting. The two raised discs that populated his forehead were scratched and pitted.

"Hi," the girl said meekly. Hellboy laughed. A tiny snatch of memory fleeted back to Radais, in which Reggie had informed the girl that Hellboy was the one who had pulled her away from the frog-thing. "Oh, God, forgive my rudeness! Thank you so much, Hellboy. You saved my life, I am indebted to you." Hellboy laughed harder. He stepped inside the room a stride or two, letting go of the doorknob.

"We don't really keep track of who owes who here," he said. He scratched his chin with his right hand, a massive stone hand.

"Still," Radais argued mildly, putting her phone in her back pocket, "I can't help but feel in your debt. And, I don't even know if I'm going to be able to be an agent. So I probably won't get to return the favor."

"Kiddo," he said, taking another stride forward, "You're workin' with the best in the business. I'll turn you into a fighter, for sure."

Radais bit her lip, weighing her eagerness against her newness and self-doubt. A spire of confidence ran her through and she looked up at the man. "Great," she said, her purple orbs burning, "When do we start?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright, long chapter, sorry. But I couldn't find places to stop it. XD Next chapter you get to meet the Prince. Be excited. Reviews pretty please! All the crazy grammer is fixed. ^-^


	6. Chapter 5: The Hanged Man

_A white horse stood on a hill in Scotland, overlooking a great green plain. His nostrils flared bright red and his sides heaved with labored breathing. His rider spurred his ribs and he walked on, shaking his creamy mane._

_"Get up, Banshee," the rider said from under the cloak, which hid its face in shadows, even in the mid-day sun. Banshee whickered deeply in protest, but the slap of the leather rein on his neck pushed him into a gallant trot._

_Down the slope he trotted, his ears pinned back and his feathered legs stretching to cover ground quickly. That was the rider's highest priority, move quickly and get as far away from the castle as possible. An old tree caught the attention of the rider, who slowed the great steed with a gentle jerk of the reins and steered him closer to the charred, gnarled are you doing?_ Banshee thought in his deep voice. The rider halted the horse a few feet away and slipped off, landing on its feet and lowering its hood.

_His face was a deep, dark red and his dark hair nearly matched, it was only a shade or two darker. It was cropped short in a new age, more human way. The man's eyes were a sickly yellow-green, and they were keened on the massive tree. His strong jaw was set hard, and only gave enough for the man to mutter a 'don't move' to the milky , what are you doing?_ the stallion asked, his thought more whiny than concerned. He didn't want to be anywhere near the tree, it stank of death and black magic. Just like the castle. _This is backwards, Prince! We should be going away from this smell! _

_Hush, Banshee!_ the prince thought back, his tone a mixture of fear and annoyance. He crept closer, his hand slowly going toward his gold-hilted sword. His boot squeaked on the flagstones surrounding the tree, making the horse shy slightly and a raven fly up from the tree, to which the white stallion shied again, backing up a few steps and eyeing the tree with fierce blue eyes._Prrriiiinnccccee. Priiinnce Miiiiinoosssss._

_The prince stopped, the sword hilt firmly in his grasp._

_"Who's there?" he demanded, golden eyes searching the empty tree and flagstones. All was silent, even the wind held his breath. For what seemed like ages, the prince stood, eyes on the tree, barely exhaling._

_The sound of a rope being pulled taut shattered the silence, followed by the sharp sound of bone snapping. From the ancient treetop fell a body, hung by the neck, its eyes popped and its jaw ripped to one side. Blood oozed from its ears, nose, and gaping mouth. Ten or fifteen ravens took off, out of the clutches of the tree. The prince, in his momentary surprise, squeezed his eyes tightly shut. When he opened them, the body was replaced with a sun-bleached closer, Prince Minos, and I will tell you of things to come_, it whispered in a voice like the wind.

_The prince considered for a moment, glancing back toward the white horse, who was cowering several feet away. An emotion, he couldn't tell if it was bravery or blind stupidity, compelled him forward, to speak to the skeleton, who was now staring at him with hollows where its eyes used to be._

_"What do you mean, perturbed spirit?" Minos asked, straightening and stepping closer to the seek your sister, the Warmonger, do you not?_ The skeleton inquired.

_"Aye, I seek the girl known as Radequdais. What business is it of yours?"The girl you seek is hidden from your father, just as you hide from him. If you are to find her, you need to travel to the human cities of America. Only there will she be found. But beware, Prince. She will not become your father's Warmonger. Mark this, she will stop at nothing to take the righteous path, and she will kill the king in the process. Go to her, seek your own redemption. So it is written, Prince._

_The prince blinked, a sort of fury building in him. If this was a trick of the king, so help him God, there would be hell to pay and devils to appease for the king's is no trick, Minos. It is written, in the stars._ The skeleton's voice faded, leaving the dry, lifeless bones to the harsh Scottish weather.

_Prince Minos turned, glancing once more at the skeleton, and then walked to the stallion. He patted Banshee's neck with a kind hand, looking east, toward the hidden castle, and then west, toward American, and hopefully, his sister._

_"Radequdais, I pray you, guide me and protect me, War-Queen," he said into the wind. He mounted the to, my liege?_ The stallion asked, shaking his mane._Across the ocean, to the new world._

_------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Introducing telepathy and the unicorn(that doesn't have a horn). Banshee = Love. ^-^


	7. Chapter 6: Breaking Down the Walls

Abe sat cross-legged on the foam mat, a thick leather book in his hand. On the cover there was no title, but an etched picture of a skull with waves radiating from it let anyone know, undoubtedly, what the book was about. Telepathy. An interesting subject in itself, something that most humans were _capable_ of. Whether they _wanted _to do it or not, that was the kicker. But Abe's theory was that it would be easy for Radais to access the third eye and be able to use telepathy quite well, given her magic heritage. And she undoubtedly wanted to have a 'special skill', aside from the fact that she was ridiculously strong and fast and intelligent. She often complained about feeling 'too human'.

Truth be known, Abe didn't want much to do with the girl. He was only helping her because it would help the team. The hybrid was an enigma, a fluid mosaic of personality and emotion. She was the kind of person that would take you, give you wings, and spoil you for everyone else. Had Nuala been so different? Death itself was a traumatic experience for the living, but had she not spoiled him since before that moment? Abe fell further into thought, eyes focused on the dark leather grains of the book in his hand.

A loud smack, the sound of skin on the mat cover, roused Abe out of his brooding. Radais was on the floor, her golden hair loosed from its ponytail, struggling against the hands of a human karate instructor. A hiss, like that of a cat, came forth from her teeth and she raised her legs around his neck, pulling him off of her with tremendous force. He toppled backward, somersaulted, and came to rest on his back. He groaned mildly, as if he was more surprised than injured. Radais leapt up and ran over to him, her face distorted with concern.

"Oh, gosh, Jason! Are you okay?" she asked the young man, extending her hand to help him up. He commented that it would take more than that to knock him out, and the two proceeded into another sparring match.

"Whatcha got there?"

Abe looked to see the speaker, Red, who was looking over his shoulder at the book.

"Oh, it's you," he said, thankful that it wasn't Manning, "Um, this," he raised the thick volume into the light, "Is a book for Radais. It's about telepathy. I think she's be very adept at it."

"Hmmm," Red considered, scratching the base of one sawed-off horn, "Think she'll go for it?"

"Why wouldn't she? She's absolutely desperate to bring something to the table besides the obvious."

"Yeah, true. She does complain. But I dunno if I'm comfortable with her in my head," Red said jokingly.

"I doubt she'll be able to do that," Abe said, not hinting that he accepted the joke, "Hardly anyone can."

"It was a joke, Abe. Relax," Red said, glaring at her friend. Radais had been at the bureau for two weeks, give or take, and the entire time, Red had been trying to get Abe to spend some time with the fascinating hybrid.

Just then, Radais finally managed to put the young and fit Jason on the ground, then danced over to where Red and Abe were sitting.

"Did you see that?" she said happily. Red, who was happy to see her so excited, smiled and nodded. Abe stared passed the girl and didn't say anything.

"So, um, I think we should have a movie night, ya know, with popcorn and junk food and stuff? I know the perfect movie, it's this scary movie about a killer ghost on a subway train, it looks pretty good."

"Sounds like a blast. We can try to do it tonight, Liz and I have nothin' else to do. I'll ask around," Hellboy said supportively. He nudged Abe hard in the back.

"Hm?" said Abe, waking from his space-out, "Oh, um, sounds great, but I'm busy."

Red grimaced. Abe and him would have words, shortly.

Radais looked a little down-hearted, her elated manner cooling into her normal sarcasm. "Oh, that's okay. Nothin' says you have to come, anyway."

Abe stood, his eyes dim and his gills flared. He handed the book to Radais hastily, muttered something unintelligible, and walked out of the training room. Red followed, his jaw set, telling Radais that he had an issue to take care of.

Red finally cornered Abe in a small, lonely corridor, near Abe's library. He grabbed the fishman's shoulder with his flesh-and-blood hand, and Abe turned to face him, his expression bitter.

"Why won't you give that girl a chance?" Red growled.

"Cause she's trouble," Abe snarled back, his mood too poor to use proper grammar.

"Oh yeah? How do you know that? You don't know her."

"You do?"

"A hell of a lot better than you!" Red's tone was fierce, "She's funny, smart, a dreamer, the most compassionate thing I've met, everything you could possibly want in a woman."

"And what does that mean for me? I had my chance, Red! And I lost it!" Abe was shouting now, "She's the kind of person I don't want to be involved with, cause either way I'll get hurt!"

"All you do it whine about what was, what could have been, and you're too blind to see the future and what you have now!"

"I look at her and feel _nothing_! No emotion! Not of passion, not of interest, not of comradery. Hell, Red, I don't feel anything about _anyone_! I died with her, and there's no hope of anything!"

"There you go again, giving up! If you actually tried to live, maybe you'd find happiness. Maybe not in the girl, but in _something_!"

"Nuala _was_ my happiness!"

"Nuala's dead!"

Abe fell silent, recoiling as if he had been burned. His eyes closed and his head hung, and he appeared to be deflated, as if all the breath he had held, waiting for a sign from the princess, had suddenly come soaring out of his lungs.

"And she sure wouldn't've wanted this pathetic excuse for a life for you," Red finished, his tone kind. He seemed sad. Slowly, he turned and walked away, back to find Liz, away from the fishman, whose blood had turned to ice.


	8. Chapter 7: A Plane and A Pony

_Brrring! Brrring! Brrring!_

Radais fished for her phone.

"Hullo?" she said into the receiver.

"Radais, come to the briefing room," said a familiar male voice.

"Alright, Manning. Be there in a minute." She hung up the phone and got up from her place on her bed.

_Manning better have a good reason_, she thought dully.

"Okay, so how does Scotland sound?" Manning said. Radais' interest piqued and she sat forward in her chair, leaning over the table. Everyone else groaned.

"Don't jump up at once. We're only sending two agents anyway. Abe, you're going." Abe snorted. "And let me see," Manning paused. His eyes fell on Radais, "Ah, yes. Perfect first assignment for out newest recruit. It'll give you a chance to maybe reconnect with your roots. You two are headed for Callander, Scotland. A tourist recently disappeared and the town has a history of kelpie sightings. Take some gold jewelry. Plane leaves in an hour."

Radais' heart caught in her throat. She was being sent on a real mission? And maybe meet a real kelpie? Excitement rose in her chest, waking out of lazy slumber.

Abe stood and left. Manning glared at him, but said nothing. Reggie jumped up, said a few words quietly to Manning, and proceeded to drag Radais out of the briefing room and to her bedroom to pack.

"You're going to be there for two weeks, " she began as she threw thongs and bras into a suitcase from under Radais' bed, "You're going to need to remain low-profile, hair pulled back and sunglasses when you're outside the cabin. Limit your contact with humans and plantlife. Especially plantlife. Gahliendo's court was last reported to be in Germany, and it's possible that some of the plants may still retain alliances. And above all, do not use any telepathy. Don't practice while you're there. Leave your book here."

Radais made mental notes and didn't ask questions. She needed to follow every single rule this time and prove her usefulness.

"Yes ma'am," she said, stuffing her hygienics bag into the suitcase. The pair packed frantically for a moment longer, then Radais' cellphone rang.

"Hello?" she said impatiently.

"Get on the plane." It was Abe, sounding annoyed. Radais hung up the phone and nudged Reggie.

"Go time. Gills is getting anxious."

Surprisingly, the plane was actually on HQ property, just behind the big building. The sky sparkled with stars as Radais boarded. The plane had four seats in the center and a large cargo net in the back. The pilot loaded Radais' suitcase while she sat down in a seat on the end, away from Abe.

"Too bad you didn't get to have your movie night," Abe said monotonely. Radais furrowed her brow, trying to decipher whether he was being cynical or annoying, but said nothing.

"Alright, guys, since this is a non-stop 8 hour flight, we aren't going to run air conditioning for the first half, just in case. Sorry. But there are clean blankets and pillows under your seats. Buckle up and we'll get this thing movin'," said the captain over the loudspeaker.

"Great," Radais groaned. She reached under the seat for the blanket, laid it across her lap, then buckled her harness-style seatbelt.

Several hours into the flight, Radais was shivering, even with the blanket.

"Oh my God," she chattered, "I can see my breath."

This only earned her an irritated glance from Abe, which annoyed her greatly.

What a complete ass, she thought acridly. Reluctantly, she let it go and tried to get some sleep after checking her watch and finding that it was almost 3am.

A strange noise woke her up. Abe was standing over her, sucking air through his gills, which produced a sound like sandpaper on steel.

"What the-?" she growled, pushing the interloper away.

"We've landed. Get up and get out," Abe said, walking to the open door. Radais unbuckled and stood, scrambling to the door. A small flight of stairs led down to a paved runway, and Radais looked to see where they were. It was a tiny airport in the middle of grazing lands. The early sun was just riding and Radais could make out the forms of fluffy sheep dotting the grass.

A dark car was waiting for the pair, and Abe was already getting inside. Radais bounced down the stairs and across the blacktop. She slid into the backseat and Abe glared. He said nothing about how she didn't buckle the seatbelt and simply told the man up front to drive. Soon, they were speeding down old Scottish roads. They drove for an hour, maybe two, until they reached a tiny spit of a town, Callander. The driver turned up an old dirt road and eventually they found themselves at an old cottage.

"How quaint," Radais mused sarcastically as the driver parked. He helped the two get their luggage to the door, but left in a hurry.

"What's his deal?" she asked.

"He's local. They're scared of the lake and surrounding areas, especially at night. Only fishermen and tourists ever get close to the lake, and fishermen only do so for about 5 hours, when the sun is highest. No sun, no fishing. Too many have been claimed by the lake creatures," Abe explained, dragging his suitcase inside the cottage.

"That was the most you've said all day."

Abe grimaced at her but said nothing, taking his bag to the first room on the right. Radais investigated, lugging her things to a similar room on the other side of the hall. The room was small, with a small bed, but it was homey. The walls, which were an earthy tone of yellow, and the lovely flowered bedspread, made her feel comfortable. She somewhat hoped that Abe's room looked similar, it would be a fantastic blow to his masculinity.

After spending a moment deciding whether or not to unpack her things, she decided to investigate the rest of the cottage. The hall with the rooms led to a living area, with two couches in the center and a small TV. The kitchen was next. A half-wall separated it from the living area, and Radais balked when she saw that all available counter space was covered in scientific equipment. As she investigated all the metal instruments, Abe appeared out of his room, to investigate as well.

"Um, are we sure it's safe to eat around chemistry equipment?" Radais asked from behind a large microscope. Abe said nothing and Radais walked down to the living area. "Hel-looooo! Earth to Abe, I'm talkin' to you," she said.

"I hear you the first time," he grunted, walking passed her into the kitchen.

Radais' blood boiled, and she broke out a question that had been inching her brain for the past week.

"What did I do to you?" she snapped.

"Nothing. Why?" he answered innocently.

"Cause you walk around actin' like I've done somethin' to you."

"I don't want to get into this. Red has already berated me, and you don't have any right to talk to me about my life. So just stop right now."

Radais snorted, taken aback.

"Excuse me? I'm just wondering why you can't treat me like a person," she said.

"Cause I don't want to make connections."

"What the hell does that mean?"

He looked like he was going to speak, but shut his jaw tightly and flared his gills. Radais glared at him, her stone face unwavering and light dancing in her wide purple eyes.

"Look, I just don't want to be close to anyone. Some things have happened that, I don't know, I-"

"You treat _me_ like shit because you're heartbroken over the elf girl?" Radais spat.

"Who told you?"

"Hellboy, of course. He says that you'd like me if you hadn't built a wall. But I didn't believe him. Turns out he's right. Jesus, I've never been treated like shit cause of a dead girl."

"Don't you dare," Abe spouted, stepping into the living room, standing tall and kind of intimidating.

"Dare what? Dishonor her? Oh, fear not, Broken One. I've heard her story. Brave girl, I'd have liked her. Paid the ultimate price to save Hellboy and the world. I intend to make sure her efforts were not in vein. Gahliendo will die, and the Warmonger with him, in her honor."

Abe was silent for a moment, his eyes softening a bit, and he slumped onto one of the couches. Radais moved opposite him and locked her eyes onto his. He was silent for a long time.

"Thanks," he managed quietly, "It's just, something happened the night I met her. She saw into my heart, and I hers, and I think I had found everything I had wanted. But then, she was taken. And that was it. I'm not meant for happiness."

"Abe, seriously, this is important. God has a plan. Everything happens for a reason. She was meant to save the world from the robot guys. She was meant to open your heart. But maybe she wasn't meant to give you lasting happiness. Perhaps your greatest happiness lies in the future, in something or someone else. She would want you to be happy," Radais said, feeling theological and too much like her father. He had often given her the same speech about destinies.

Abe just stared at the floor and said nothing.

"Well, I'll leave you alone, I know you hate me so I'll try to stay out of your way. I think I'm gunna go for a walk, familiarize myself with the environment. I'll see you later, Blue," Radais said, standing. She grabbed the sunglasses from her suitcase and put them on, glancing once more at Abe before slipping out the door.

The land surrounding the cottage was hilly and rocky, a result of weathering over hundreds of years. The lake was barely visible on the horizon to the east. The sun was still low and sent pinks and purples shooting up the sky. Radais wandered down an embankment to the west, slipping once or twice on loose stones. She found herself in a dry riverbed, a sort of shallow gully. After a few steps she saw several large bats that were flying overhead.

"What are you guys doing out so late?" she asked them as they whizzed by. They flew ahead and Radais picked up her pace a little, wondering where the big bats were going.

The bats danced through the dawn, their wings alitting on pockets of hot air. They dipped and spun, fascinating the girl and leading her down, away from the house.

Radais paused and spun, realizing that she had gone too far. The shallow bank rose behind her and the riverbed stretched on, up a hill, and the cabin was out of sight. The girl turned around, searching for the bats.

Four of the massive brown beasts were in a tree on the bank, hanging from a dead branch. Their wings were tightly drawn around their bodies and they were howling, an unholy echo of a wolf's cry. Fear rose in Radais' throat as the notion that the bats were howling out her position to the plants, which would relay it to the king. But Radais had always known bats to be private creatures, never tangling themselves in the business of others, why would they be spies for the elf king?

The trees that lined the bank trembled with the sound of something approaching. Something large, approaching very rapidly. Radais looked behind her and saw a formation of rocks clustered near the edge of the gully. She took to it, leaping behind it and crouching low. She held her breath as the noise grew closer and quicker.

Something large and white exploded from the trees on the south side of the gully. It was a blur to the girl, whose vision was already obscured by the rocks. It landed somewhere in the middle of the riverbed, and clouds of dust came up around it. It spun and lashed out, sending dust and debris all over, until it came to a halt, facing the rising sun.

The dust settled, and as it did, the creature became clear to Radais. Its pure white coat glimmered in the sun and its muscles quivered underneath, sending little poufs of dust into the now-still air. Its mane and tail were wavy, like a model's hair, and of the purest silver and probably felt like the finest silk. Light dapples decorated its coat, like tiny white halos. It tossed its mane once and then stood tall, its finely muscled neck arched and its blue eyes searching the gully.

"Child!" it said in a commanding manner. Its voice was feminine, and it spoke quite eloquently, "Peace, Child, I know you are here! Your bat friends have given you away! But fear not, Child. I am your friend. Come out, and meet me."

Radais was taken aback that the mare could speak, and something like doubt boiled in the back of her mind. A trick of her father's, perhaps? But something about the pure white mare, standing fearlessly into the Scottish daybreak, waiting patiently for the girl to reveal herself, told her otherwise.

Cautiously Radais rose, her half-fearful and half-wary eyes on the white horse. The mare turned to face the girl, and ducked her head in a half-bow. Radais mimicked in a more human manner, with a nod.

"You are Warmonger?" the mare asked, her ears pricked toward the emerging girl. Radais nodded again, more definitely. "Then I am yours," she said, bowing to her knees.

Radais took a step or two passed the rock, biting her lip. She watched the horse carefully, looking for seams or zippers, for nothing so pure could be a trick other than by man-made design.

"I am Radais," she said, "Why are you mine?"

"It is written," the horse said, as if any idiot knew such information, "The royal bloodline always receives unicorns, as help-mates and guides. Your father has one, and your brother. Ironically, your brother's unicorn is my brother."

"Brother?" Radais said with a bit of a snarl.

"Yes, your brother Prince Minos. He is looking for you. So is your father. For different reasons, of course. But, War-Queen, I pray you, hist. There is time for talk later."

Radais furrowed her brow and pursed her lips at the name War-Queen, and the fact that her brother and father were both hunting her. Even the fact that she had a brother unnerved her a bit. But she supposed that a lot had happened since she was born, almost 25 years previous, that she had no idea about.

"Fine," she said with a bit of a growl still lingering in her voice, "We should go talk to Abraham. The cottage is this way."

She turned and began walking toward the cottage, half expecting the horse to not follow. But she did, and the pair walked the rest of the way in silence, with a thousand questions boiling in Radais' head.

"So, where's your horn?" she asked. It seemed to be the simplest of her questions.

The mare snorted indignantly, "We have no horns. The term 'unicorn' is very degrading actually, as only our American and Chinese cousins have horns."

"So why do you call yourself a unicorn?"

"Would you prefer 'Magical White Pony'?"

A giggle rose from Radais and the mare whickered in approval.

"Glad to see you've got a sense of humor. Lord knows we need that around here, between Abe and I. Come on, he's gunna get nervous that I've been gone so long."


	9. Chapter 8: Fighting

"It's a _what_?" Abe spouted, his brow furrowed deeply and his gills flared as far as they could. Radais giggled.

"A unicorn. With no horn. Calm down, you look like a puffer fish," she said, her eyes sparkling. Abe had become a new person in the half-hour she had left him alone, acting toward her like he had always acted toward Red and Liz.

"And it just appeared when you were walking?" he glowered.

"Jumped down from the trees. The bats called her."

"You trust her?"

"I think so. She kinda feels like part of me, like I've always known her. I think it's like a bond, from birth or whatever. I read about it in a book."

"Uh-huh," he growled. His face grew pensive for a moment, then he spoke again, "How do you know this isn't a trick of Gahliendo's?"

"Um, I don't. I mean, I don't really have a way of knowing, but it doesn't feel like a trick," Radais said, pursing her lips.

"Alright, but the second it goes south, the thing is glue."

"Deal. Now come meet her," Radais twittered, turning and trotting to the cottage door. Abe followed her down the hallway and out the door. Radais bounced to the bottom of the steps and over to the white mare, her smile wide and her eyes glinting in morning sun. The mare shook her mane and looked eagerly toward the fishman.

"Hello," she said merrily, mirroring Radais' smile with her tone. Abe took the steps slowly, then cautiously walked to the horse. Gently he reached out one hand and placed it on the mare's forehead.

"Hello," he echoed after a moment. He stepped back and lowered his hand, looking to Radais.

"She is pure of nature," he said, "And she is missing a part of her soul, the part that you fill."

Radais furrowed her brow, then placed her hand on the mare's neck. The horse whickered lightly.

"Perhaps the same is for me?" she asked, half to Abe and half to the mare.

"Yes," the mare answered, "We are each part of each other, so it is written."

"You keep talking about things being written," Radais began thoughtfully, "Written _where_, exactly?"

The mare whisked her tail over her flanks.

"Written, admittedly, is poor word choice. What I mean is that it is rooted deep into the laws that govern all magical beings, ancient powers that have existed since before the creation of planets and worlds. Woven into fate, prophecy, and destiny. And part of that magic is the bond between an elf royal and his or her unicorn."

"Not gunna lie, I feel like I'm five, talking about elf princesses and their unicorns," Radais said, grinning.

"Call me by another name, if you prefer."

"No, it's fine."

"Well, you have to name me anyway," the mare mused.

At that point, Radais realized what she should have realized much earlier. The mare had given her no name.

"Name you? Why?"

"It is written," the white horse recited, "In the deep magic."

Radais groaned and made a face. That would be the reason. What's a good name for a unicorn, anyway? She brainstormed a bit, then settled on a Spanish word that seemed to fit the broad-shouldered mare.

"Bruja."

"Why Bruja?" Abe asked immediately. Radais remembered that Red had once told her that Abraham was fluent in several languages, and mediocre in several more. Apparently, he knew the meaning of bruja.

"It just fits," Radais retorted.

"How interesting," the newly named Bruja interjected.

"What is?"

"Your brother's unicorn, my own brother, is named Banshee. How interesting that you name me Witch."

Radais bit her lip, and she saw Abe's face go from interested to concerned out of the corner of her eye.

"Interesting, indeed," Abe said, grimacing. He looked from Radais, to Bruja, back to Radais, then turned and retreated into the cottage. Radais watched him go, her face frozen with disbelief, then stared at the closed door, until a sharp snort from Bruja relocated her attention.

"How rude," she said. Radais grimaced at her, then told her that they would be able to talk more later on, but right now she had to go talk to Abe and see what the matter is.

"Fine enough, I should find myself a locale to sleep at anyway, there's a storm coming."

Radais nodded absentmindedly, then trotted to the cottage, rather hastily.

"Abe?" she said, quite audibly, as soon as she had the door shut securely behind her. An answering grunt sounded from the kitchen, giving Radais the impression that he was on the phone.

"Mental connection with the prince? Is that possible?" said a scratchy, distant voice. Radais recognized it as Kate Corrigan, probably on Abe's long-distance communicator.

"It's probably not active, more like general emotions, all precognitive and subconscious," Abe answered. His voice was strong and a bit harsh.

"Could it be used against us?"

"I doubt it. Even _if_ the prince knew, which I somehow don't think he does, I don't think it's anything that can be manipulated."

If Radais had been ignorant to their subject, she would have though they were talking about a creature, not a human being.

_Well, _human_ being is poor word choice_, the girl thought mildly.

"So, you're telling me it's not a threat?"

"Not so far. If that changes, I'll let you know. Sapien out."

"What were you and Katie talking about?" Radais growled, dancing slowly down the hall with confident, almost vicious, steps.

"What did it sound like?" he asked, sitting down on the couch facing her.

"A head of cattle you are buying at auction," she spat.

Abe looked confused for a moment, then reflected and understood.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like that."

"Oh, it's fine. I know how vindictive you are, it doesn't bother me."

He grimaced, then stood and walked passed her and into the little room he had claimed as his own during the vacation. Obviously, she had made him mad. She heard the echo of his voice in the back of her mind, telling her that she is corrupt, selfish, and ignorant. Perhaps she would feel better if he had actually said it to her. Then again, perhaps she would feel better after she slept. Realizing that she hadn't for the better part of twenty-four hours, she meandered into her own little room, crawled into the bed, and fell asleep, into dreams of pale princes and unicorns of the non-horned variety.

So I've been doing a little bit of soul-searching about Warmonger, over that fact that it's ridiculously long and seems to be headed in no real direction. Well, there is a direction, I promise. But honestly, I really don't care what you guys think, because Warmonger is my pet project. It might not be my greatest writing or anything. But it makes me happy. And I will continue to write it. ^-^ Don't worry, they won't all be like this. I already have a plan for a boy named Dmitry and a homeless girl in Hawai'i. So never fear. But I WILL finish Warmonger first.

And thanks, everyone who likes Warmonger.


	10. Chapter 9: Nothing More Than Feelings

They had only three days left in Scotland, and so far, no sign of any kelpie. Even after several diving excursions to the bottom of the loch, they hadn't found so much as a human foot bone. Radais had mused about the possibility that Bruja had been mistaken for a kelpie, but the mare had been in France for the past thirty-four years, and Russia before that. A hoax was the only other thing she could think of. Abe had informally closed the case, initiating a yearly dive for the next ten years, but taking no further action.

"Be good to be home," Radais said to herself, attempting to stretch out on the couch. Abe was shut in his room, probably reviewing old volumes on Gaelic and Scottish lore, looking for clues and staying away from Radais. Things had been tense between the two, as Radais always seemed to find something new to upset him about. The most recent argument was over why Bruja had left three days ago for America. Six days early seemed suspicious to Abe, but Radais defended the mare, saying "You try to cross the Atlantic in six days," to which Abe responded, "The idiot thing could've gone with us in the plane!" Admittedly, it was a dumb move on his part, but he wouldn't've said it if she had been a bit nicer to him.

Radais flipped a page in her magazine, then heard a loud cough, then a thud, from Abe's room. She jumped up, knocking her CosmoGirl to the floor, bolted down the hallway, and nearly broke the door down. Abe was lying on his bed, leaning against the headboard, several books on the floor and one, unopened, in his hand.

"Are you okay?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yes, I'm fine," he pronounced slowly, "Can I help you?"

"I-I heard you cough and some kind of loud noise, I thought you were hurt."

Abe considered, then his face changed from annoyed to open. "Oh," he said, his voice lighter and more natural, "I just coughed on some dust from an old book and dropped it on the floor."

Radais felt silly and didn't quite know what to say in wake of her mistake.

"Sorry for barging in," she said finally. Abe laughed lightly. Radais bit her lip, walked into the room, and sat down at the foot of the bed.

"And, I'm sorry about my attitude as of late. I'm such a bitch sometimes."

Abe laughed again, then sat up farther.

"It's okay," he said, "I forgave you when you came bursting in here. If you care so much, you obviously don't mean half the things you say when you're mad. And I understand that this can be stressful."

"Thanks," she said meekly.

"You know, you aren't a bitch all the time," Abe said. Radais smiled.

"Friends?" she said, offering her hand to him. He took it and shook, but then a strange mix of expressions crossed his face.

"What?" she asked, studying him. She bit her lip again, afraid of his answer.

"You," he said, his brow furrowed. He considered for another moment, then continued, "Or rather, your mind."

"What about it?"

"Silence in your screams, tranquility in your rage, open gates to your heart, the deepest soul, like an ocean undiscovered. You are bottled lightning and a living wasteland."

Radais recognized the words with every fiber in her being, they rang forever inside her skull. She had written them when she was 17, as an "assignment" from Greg. They, amazingly, still held true today, perhaps truer than they had in years.

Abe noticed that he still grasped her hand, and quickly dropped it. He studied the girl. Her eyes were downcast and half-hidden with waves of blonde hair, her full lips drawn tight and one of her large canines stuck out as she chewed her lower lip. Her hand had gone to her neck, to the silver cross, in the usual fashion. After a moment, she spoke.

"I wrote that a long time ago, for Greg. He said that giving myself words would help me stay true to myself."

For a moment, the pair sat in silence, lost in thought again.

The half-breed girl was finally coming to terms with something that had been weighing on her mind for the better part of the last month, her growing infatuation and enamour with Abe. Of course, she had had "crushes", just like every girl, but never a full-blown storm of emotion and longing, like the one that raged in the place where her lungs should have been. But the knowledge of his seemingly-"undying" love for the _dead _princess stood as a brick wall in front of a mustang, unbreakable and unjumpable.

Abe, on the other hand, replayed his conversation with Red from so many days ago that he had lost track. Could he really ever let go of the princess? Everything in Radais' mind was now challenging his whole life. And that was the problem with psychometry, once you see it, it become a part of you. While she held respect for Nuala, she held deeper and stronger contempt for her. And the thunderhead that shrouded her heart held a range of emotions so strong, that if he had ventured farther he might have blacked out.

"You can see, can't you?" Radais said, feeling awkward. Now that he knew her white-burning fire for him, what would he say? "Get over yourself"?

"Yes, if I assume correctly what you are talking about."

"Aren't you going to admonish me, or tell me I'm ridiculous, or that you are forever locked in the grasp of an ice queen?" she said. Anger, an attempt at recovery and self-preservation, flooded her words and mind, and her heart raced.

Abe looked taken aback, but then his face fell and the atmosphere changed uncomfortably.

"Hellboy told me to wake up and realize that I'm letting life, and happiness, pass me by. I don't know what or how to feel, Radais. Seeing your mind is kind of throwing me for a spin I'm not ready for."

Radais took advantage of his pause and stood.

"Don't worry about it," she said. She quickly retreated, out into the hallway and out the front door, to sit on the concrete stairs. Thought and emotion overwhelmed her, and she began to pray, her left hand clutching her cross and her right, white-knuckled, on the steel railing.

The next three days were awkward, Abe and Radais barely spoke to each other. The plane trip home was awkward, each of them sat on the ends of the small four-seat row and only spoke in awkward monotone to relay information when one of them fell asleep. The flight landed at B.P.R.D. headquarters at three in the morning after major delays due to turbulence, which was enough to irritate even the most good-natured of people. Radais stumbled down the flight of stairs awkwardly before Abe, her suitcase slung over her shoulder, and was greeted by a pajama-clad Manning and an over-eager, hornless unicorn.

"I just met your Bruja," Manning began as Radais clamored down the stairs, "And I'm letting her stay, so long as she is clean and things of that nature."

Radais just gritted her teeth, patted the mare's nose, and walked passed Manning, pausing only to catch him saying that they would reconvene to talk about Scotland tomorrow evening. She left the horse outside, saying that they would figure lodging out for her in the morning, and retreated to her room.

The thick carpet was warm and soft under the girl's feet, and the air matched. She undressed slowly and crawled into bed in only her undergarments. The bed was soft and the pillows smelled of lavender, and Radais slipped immediately into deep, dreamless sleep.

"Ra-day-iss!" someone was cooing on the edge of the girl's consciousness. An earthquake rumbled through her mind, and she was pulled unwillingly out of sleep.

"Huh?" she said stupidly, registering that the little earthquakes were actually someone shaking her shoulder.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," said a deep, familiar voice in her ear. She opened her eyes and rolled over on her back, blinking away sleep. She focused on her waker, realizing that it was Hellboy.

"Red!" she shouted, leaping up and throwing her arms around his neck. He laughed heartily and hugged her with his left arm.

"Good morning, kiddo! How was Scotland?" he said, once their embrace was broken.

Radais groaned, immediately jumping on the subject of Abe. "It was weird," she began, "First, Abe and I weren't speaking, then we were arguing, and then we were just weird. He drives me crazy!" She paused, thinking of a way to change topic, then said, "But I got a pony. Did you meet her?"

"Don't try to change the subject," Red said, apparently stuck on the Abe thing.

"I wasn't. There's nothing to say and nothing is going to change, so it's a moot point. Did you meet my unicorn?"

Red grimaced, unhappy with being forced to abandon the subject. "We're not finished talking about it," he growled, "Yeah, I met your horse."

Radais smiled a rather fake smile, then ushered Red out of her room so she could get dressed.

"Manning wants you to come talk to him in the briefing room," he said as he closed the door behind him. Radais hollered in agreement, then quickly dressed. She wouldn't have time for a shower until after she had spoken with Manning, which ticked her off. That, combined with that fact that she would probably have to talk to Red more about Abe made to put her in a pretty crappy mood.

The trip to the briefing room was quick. Radais practically jogged there, in an attempt to make up for lost time and to insure that she wouldn't meet anyone on the way. Once she got there, she slipped inside, trying to go unnoticed.

"Radais, nice of you to join us," Manning said as she tried to take a seat near the door. She winced and stood, then walked over to where he and Abe, the only people present, stood at the front.

"Didn't want to let you down," she said sarcastically, yawning widely for emphasis.

"God forbid. Now, Abe was just telling me how you found that lucrative unicorn of yours, I want your explanation," Manning said, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"Well," she began, looking awkwardly to Abe for help, "I was walking, with my hair tied up and my sunglasses on, and I saw some bats. I followed the bats. Then they called the unicorn, I hid, she found me, and here we are!"

"Uh-huh. Anything else?"

"I named her, and Abe thinks that this prince guy and me have some sort of mental connection. I think it's more like, we think similarly or something. Did you know that siblings that grow up apart from each other are more alike than siblings that do grow up together?"

Manning raised his eyebrow at her again. Abe did the same. She could tell that they both were fighting the "What are you thinking?"'s that were building on their tongues. A sigh of resignation escaped her lips.

"I'm gunna go shower if I can't be of any more assistance. Abe probably can tell you the story a lot better than I can, anyway. Call me if you need me," she said, her irritation with the whole situation boiling over a little bit. She quickly retreated, not giving Manning enough time to object to her decision. All she wanted at the moment was a shower.

The shower thing didn't work as she planned. As Radais was lathering her hair with strawberry-smelling shampoo, she heard heavy footfalls through the sound of the shower.

"Radais! We have to talk!" It was red. The girl groaned.

"Yes?"

"You got to tell me about this Abe thing. He said you handed Manning some kind of teenager attitude about your damn horse and Abe being a know-it-all or something."

"While I'm in the shower? Can't it wait?"

"No, now. I don't care what you're doing."

Radais sighed and washed the little dribbles of soap from her forehead.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you. I can't have him, can't even think about having him, and it hurts. So I just resort to being a bitch, I guess."

"What do you mean, have him?"

A bitter sensation welled in Radais' chest.

"I want to fall in love with him, live for him, feel his touch. And vise versa. I don't know, it's just what I feel."

Red was silent for a long time, then he cleared his throat.

"But I realize that he's too far gone. Even when he saw my mind, nothing changed. So I'm not worrying about it anymore, I'm just trying to get over it at this point," she continued.

"Radais," said a new voice, soft with sadness. It was Abe. "Come to my room when you've finished. We need to talk." He didn't wait for her reply and padded out of the locker room briskly. Radais heard Hellboy heave a sigh and stand slowly.

"Don't be mad," he said, his voice shallow.

"I'm not. Thanks for your help," she responded, attempting to be sincere. Her heart pounded in her chest and she tried to keep her breathing even, her mind racing over all the possible things Abe could need to talk to her about. Probably he wanted to yell at her and make her leave him alone. Not that she had been bothering him, but obviously her attitude was. She honestly didn't want to be a bitch. It was just how the pain translated.

"It was my idea, so don't be mad at him, either."

"Red, seriously, it's fine. Just go, give me time to think before I go talk to him, alright? I'll come see you later."

As far as Radais could tell, through the sound of the shower running, Red sighed again, reluctantly, and then shuffled away. He was upset with himself, probably as upset as Radais was with herself. But there was little use worrying about him now. He could be berated about his trick later.

As much as Radais wanted to know what Abe had to say, she dreaded it, and thus prolonged the getting-out-of-the-shower-and-getting-dressed process. Despite her best efforts, however, she found herself dressed and standing in front of Abe's closed door in only a matter of minutes. She bit her lip and raised her fist to knock.

"Come in." Abe's voice was shallow, sad and muffled by distance and the door. The girl thought for a moment about turning around and never speaking to the icthyosapien again and almost did it, but a spire of guilt prodded her back uncomfortably and she forced open the heavy door with her shoulder.

The room, which was actually a library that had belonged to the B.P.R.D.'s founder, the late Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, was large and most of the surfaces were gilded with a sort of gold leaf. Abe's large glowing fish tank was built into the wall on the far left and an enormous fireplace sat in a column in the center on the room. A sort of alcove, seated on a platform only a few steps tall, contained several tall bookcases, populated floor-to-ceiling with hundreds of manuscripts and novels, and a large, ancient table, scattered with books and papers. Several other tables, similarly cluttered, populated the rest of the vast room.

Abe was putting a thick leather novel onto a shelf as Radais stepped cautiously inside. He paused, glancing in the girl's direction, and then selected another novel, one with a light blue binding. He opened it and read for a moment. Radais strode across the room and up three or so stairs, into the little library. She stopped at the table and sat down on the edge of it, her wary purple orbs never leaving the fishman's back.

"She liked this poem," he said, neglecting to turn around. His head was bent over the book, as if he was still immersed in the words.

"Look Abe, I'm really sorry about this whole situation," she started, sliding down from the table and turning in an attempt to leave. Abe cleared his throat and turned, closing the book loudly and gripping it tightly in his hand.

"I had a dream last night, on the plane. She spoke to me. Told me what you and Hellboy have been trying to say to me all along."

Radais wasn't sure how to handle this. Her mind immediately produced five hundred questions, and each one now bounced around inside her skull. She furrowed her brow and bit her lip, and waited for what Abe would say next.

"So don't be sorry. I just want you to know that I'm, how should I put it, turning over a new leaf," he said, lightly setting the book on the table.

"Like, startin' fresh?"

Abe nodded, a little smile crossing his face briefly.

Radais was just opening her mouth to say that she was proud of him for beginning to move on when her cellphone rang.

"Hello?" she snapped into the receiver.

"Where are you?" It was Liz. Her voice was urgent and strained.

"In Abe's room," Radais replied uneasily. She and Liz hadn't spent much time together since Radais had joined the B.P.R.D., she was always wrapped up in herself. Her obvious rudeness irritated the half-breed.

"Well both of you need to get upstairs. Your horse dredged up something rather unpleasant. And he wants to talk to you."

"A'ight, be there soon."

"Liz?" Abe asked perceptively, his face a bit more business-like.

"Apparently, we're needed topside. I wonder what it could be?"


	11. Chapter 10: A Visit From The Prince

Minos was restless inside. He was tired and cranky, and sore from his two-day ride. Banshee had heard his sister calling for him, leading Minos and him to where the princess was hidden, and the mare dragged them all the way to Connecticut. They wove their way through streets and forests, following Bruja's directions, and found themselves in the backyard of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, where they now stood, surrounded by various humans, many of them with guns.

"Excuse me!" someone was hollering through the small crowd. The voice, unfamiliar to Minos, crackled with power and a bit of a southern accent, barely noticeable, especially in so few words.

The crowd parted slowly, and many of the unarmed humans attempted to halt the speaker, but she persisted. And then she broke out of the first ranks of weapon-welders.

She was small, quite short and slender, but she possessed a particularly attractive, curvy figure. She had blonde hair and tanned skin, and Minos thought she was rather attractive, for a human.

That was, until he got a look at her pure liquid, violet eyes.

"Warmonger," the prince said, dropping to one knee. The girl stopped, in the middle of the sarcastic sentence she was spitting at the particularly pushy ectoplasmic medium who had first spoken to Minos, and turned to stare at the prince. Her face grew hard and almost angry.

"My name," she pronounced slowly, "Is Radais."

The prince stood, a bit taken aback. "But you are the War-Queen, Radequdais, are you not? The unicorn-"

The girl glowered toward her white mare, who was standing pitifully outside of the ring of humans.

"Yes, I am. If you believe such things. You are my brother, Prince Minos?"

Minos nodded. The girl made a face, then glanced from Minos to Banshee, who stood at his side, and then behind her, to the large red demon who stood close by and watched Minos with wary eyes. She grimaced at him and he opened his mouth to speak, but she got her words out before him.

"Why are you here?"

That was a difficult question. There were many reasons. Political asylum was the main one. Redemption for his crimes against humans was another. Minos cleared his throat and selected his answer.

"I seek protection."

The demon coughed heavily.

"Bullshit," he growled pointedly. Radequdais shot him a glare over her shoulder, then said, "Abe, do you mind?"

A blue-ish man, who had the gills of a fish and reminded Minos of the Lake Wachole sea monster, stepped from behind the girl and toward Minos. He watched warily as the man reached forward and placed his hand on Minos' arm. A moment later, he retreated and him, Radequdais, another female, and the demon consulted quietly.

Minos was getting a very strange and concerning vibe from all of these people, even his sister. He felt alienated, like an animal on display.

Radequdais turned to him, biting her lower lip.

"Minos, I will protect you," she said, the crackling of her voice stronger than it had been, "If this is a trick, you will die as well."

Minos remembered the hanged man's warning, that the King would die, that his own Warmonger would kill him. _Would she kill me, too?_ He thought to himself.

_She could,_ Banshee replied, _If she thinks you're lying to her. Better watch yourself._

Minos nodded absentmindedly, both at Radequdais and his stallion.

"Alright, show's over, all y'all get your asses outta here!" the girl said loudly, motioning to all of the humans. They holstered their guns and most of them dispersed, leaving a smaller group of ten or so humans, including the red demon and the blue man. The girl that Radequdais had been speaking with stayed too, and it was only then that Minos detected a fiery aura hanging around her. A human male, middle-aged by the look of him, approached Minos cautiously.

"Prince Minos," he said, extending his hand, "My name is Tom Manning. Welcome to protective custody."


End file.
